Spurs Edge Warriors 107-106

By AP&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Tue 9:41 PM, Mar 24, 2009

The San Antonio Spurs didn't let a third straight game slip away in the final moments. But boy, was it close.

Gnawed by last-second losses in their previous two outings, theSpurs got redemption when Roger Mason made an 18-footer with 23.9seconds left and watched Monte Ellis clank a running 3-pointer atthe buzzer to escape with a 107-106 win over the Golden StateWarriors on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker scored 30 points and Tim Duncan scored 13 of his 21in the fourth quarter, when the Spurs blew a late six-point lead but survived at the end.

It was thanks to Mason, who scored the last of his 24 points when he took a handoff from Duncan, rolled to the top of key and swished the game-winner.

"Definitely a relief," Mason said. "Those last few games stung."

Those included an 80-77 loss to Boston on Friday - when theSpurs missed their last six free throws in the final 2:32 - and an87-85 defeat Sunday against Houston that cost them the SouthwestDivision lead to the Rockets. They could move back atop thedivision should the Rockets lose later Tuesday to Utah.

This one could've been another stinger. Ellis missed one chanceto win the game on a jumper with 5.9 seconds left but missed, thenthe shot as time expired. He led the Warriors 27 points.

"It was good," Ellis said of final try. "Brought it up and let it go."

In all, five of San Antonio's last six games have been decidedby three points or fewer. They won only two, and have fallen to11-6 in games decided by three or fewer points after once being 9-2in that category.

The Spurs, who have lost three of five, broke a two-game skidand avoided dropping three straight for only the third time thisseason.

San Antonio led 103-97 with 3:01 left before the Warriorsregained the lead with a half-minute remaining. Swarming Duncan inthe paint, Golden State stripped the ball and Kelenna Azubuikescooped it up to race down the court for an easy layup with 33.9remaining.

That put the Warriors ahead 106-105, but not for long. Mason answered the next time down.

Warriors coach Don Nelson said he thought Ellis could've gotten a better look than the long 3-pointer he fired at the buzzer.

"I thought Monte could have gotten to the rim, certainly in five seconds get to the rim," Nelson said. "But anyways, that was what he chose to do. They made a big shot and we didn't. That's really the bottom line."

Azubuike finished with 13 for the Warriors, who have lost 17 oftheir last 19 road games. They have two more left on theirfour-game road swing with a stop in Dallas on Wednesday.

The Spurs head to Atlanta on Wednesday and may face the Hawkswithout Duncan. Popovich is trying to preserve his 32-year-oldforward for the playoffs, and already sat out Duncan in aback-to-back games earlier this month.

He gave no indication Tuesday whether Duncan would play againstAtlanta.

Golden State played again without Jamal Crawford, who missed hisfourth straight game in what has become a bizarre subplot withWarriors coach Don Nelson. In the past week, Crawford has beenbenched, allowed back, and benched himself - all while beingperfectly healthy.

Nelson doesn't want Crawford back next season and sat him onMarch 17 in favor of playing youngsters. He wanted Crawford backinto the lineup two games later, but Crawford said he wanted morepractice time before jumping back in.

Golden State's next practice won't be until Thursday, after the Spurs play Dallas on Wednesday night.

Not that the Warriors didn't keep pace in San Antonio without him.

Facing the NBA's second-best defense, Golden State went into halftime ahead 54-52 with the league's worst. It was a seesaw matchthe rest of the way.

Ellis hit a jumper to put Golden State ahead 89-87 with under 7 minutes left before Duncan answered to knot it back up. They traded baskets before the Spurs went ahead by three when Parker converted a 3-point play before the frenzied finish.

Notes:

The Warriors fell to 0-3 this season against the Spurs. They'll get one more shot at home next month.

Little-used Spurs G Jacque Vaughn played two minutes in the third quarter, recording an assist in just his 24th appearance of the season.

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